Saturday, February 27, 2016

Dreaded 'One Million Boys' Members Arrested at A Church Vigil

Three suspected members of One Million boys, a dreaded gang in the
Badagry area of Lagos – Sodiq Yinusa, Azeez Ajadi and Idris Abdulganiyu –
have been arrested by the State Police Command.

The suspects
were arrested by the Area K Command, Morogbo, while they were allegedly
attempting to rob a church in the J4 area of Seme, Badagry, during a
vigil penultimate Friday.It was gathered that the police recovered a double-barrelled locally-made pistol and a toy gun from them.

Speaking
with Punch, Ajadi, 25, claimed they had run out of transport fare after
they visited their friend in the area, and they decided to go to the
church to solicit transport fare when the policemen arrested them.

Ajadi
also denied being a member of One Million boys. He said, “I am not a
One Million boys’ member. The tattoos on my body are just for fashion.
The two others and I went to visit our friend in the area, and we ran
out of transport money. It was around 11pm.

“We were stranded and
we did not know where to turn to for help. Fortunately, we saw a church
holding a vigil and we decided to go there. A man was bathing in a shed
near the church. We explained our plight to him.

“Instead, he ran away and alerted a vigilance group that brought the police to arrest us.”

Also, Yinusa, 22, who hails from Ede, Osun State, said, “I
do not know where the police brought these guns. I dropped out of
secondary school, and I am learning a trade. We had gone to the J4 area
to see a friend, not for robbery.

“My parents are at home in Seme. They have warned me not to call them again. They are afraid of the police.”

But
a police source said the trio had other gang members who fled the scene
before the policemen arrived in the area, adding that One Million boys
members usually lurked in the night to attack pedestrians and gatherings
such as parties.

He said, “When they were arrested at the church, they claimed to have lost their transport fare. But how could three men move from Okokomaiko to Seme, Badagry, without having transport fare?
They initially drank and lurked in the area till 11pm when it was most
conducive for them to strike. Then they stormed the church.

“We are still looking for other gang members. It was with the help of the vigilance group that the suspects were arrested.”

Who is lying? Lagos police commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, said investigation in the case will be thorough.